Every picture tells a story...

If you have a scrapbook addiction like I do, you know how expensive this hobby can get. I have a whole room full of scrapbook materials, tools, stickers, die-cut machines, quote books... you name it, I've got it. Add my photo addiction to that and you've got a real hobby explosion! I even have my granddaughter, Olivia, hooked on scrapbooking.

When she comes to my house, that's usually the first thing she wants to know. "Mimi, can we scrapbook?"

As much as I enjoy traditional scrapbooking, I've come to appreciate the ease and versatility of digital scrapbooking as well. The picture to the left is another example of one of my digital scrapbook pages. This one features my friends, Debra and Ramon; and there are even a couple of pictures of me in there. I like the way this particular digital scrapbooking program allows complete freedom, as opposed to some of the programs out there that only give you the option of pasting your photos into pre-formatted templates.

Below is another example of a digital page. For this one, I started with a blank page and used pages and elements that I bought and downloaded on the internet. There are so many fun items available.

Once again, my inspiration for this page was my friend Debra, pictured here with two of her weight-loss surgery buddies, Ramon and Yvonne. That's Ramon in the back, behind Debra and Yvonne wearing a pair of Ramon's pre-surgery shorts. Pretty amazing!

As I mentioned a few blog entries back, I will be opening my scrapbook business - The Storyteller's Nook - in the very near future. Watch this site for the announcement of my web site which will go live within the next two weeks.

Another Amazing Before and After - Ramon Lopez

As promised, I have been posting examples of my digital scrapbook pages for the last several days. Some of the pages of which I'm the proudest have to be the ones I've done for my two friends who have had weight-loss surgery which COMPLETELY changed their lives. Today's post is about another one of those amazing people.

I met Ramon Lopez through my friend Debra (If you haven't read about her yet, see below - she's an inspiration.) Ramon, like Debra, has overcome so many really hard things in his life and his weight-loss surgery was just the last in a long line of many. Like Debra, Ramon's life is totally different now than it was before his surgery.

Having worked in the employment industry, I know the prejudices that exist against people who are overweight. If I told you how much ignorance and just plain stupidity there is among hiring authorities who have a prejudice against people who are overweight, you would be appalled. Without exception, my biggest challenge in staffing was in placing people who had every qualification yet didn't fit the idiotic notion that skinny and smart went hand-in-hand. I read somewhere that prejudice against overweight people is the last "acceptable" prejudice in our nation. Sad, but all too true.

You can read more about my friends Debra and Ramon (as well as their friend Yvonne) on their website:

www.rydobesity.com

Debra, Before and After

My friend, Debra

Debra and I have been friends for well over ten years. She is the kind of friend who could inspire the popular adage, "We will always be best friends; you know all my secrets." Debra and I are joined at the heart. Deb has gone through some incredible changes over the last several years. One of the most significant changes is that she has lost over one-hundred pounds; and she has kept it off for over four years. Her life is completely different now than it was before her weight-loss. She could have decided to simply enjoy her new life, but that's not who she is. Instead, she actively mentors others who are still on the road to achieving their weight-loss goal. She is very active in an organization called Obesity Help http://www.obesityhelp.com/ as a speaker and a conference organizer. I'm proud of my friend, proud enough that I want everyone to know about her strength, her determination and her courage.